Golf club holder attachment for prosthesis

ABSTRACT

An attachment for an arm prosthesis, adapted to hold the grip end of a golf club so that the amputee user can make a normal golf swing. The holder attachment includes a mounting base detachably connected to the prosthesis, and a clamping head connected to the mounting base by a connecting link portion providing both free rotary motion and pivotal motion in a single plane.

United States Patent De Filipo [11] 3,747,128 July 24,1973

[ GOLF CLUB HOLDER ATTACHMENT FOR PROSTHESIS [76] Inventor: Joseph J. De Filipo, 11 Amsterdam Ave., Menands, NY.

[22] Filed: Feb. 18, 1972 [2]] Appl. No.: 227,400

52 U.S. c1. 3)12.s [51 Int. (:1. Amt/0s [58] Field of Search 3/l2-12.8

5 61 I V w 13524; cited 2' FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 104,470 3/l9l7 Great Britain 3/12.8

12/1957 Sweden ..3/l2.8 5/1922 France ..3/l2.8

Primary ExaminerRichard A. Gaudet Assistant Examiner-Ronald L. rinks A "army-Leo A'Rosett a. Bacon & Thomas et al.

[57] ABSTRACT An attachment for an arm prosthesis, adapted to hold the grip end of a golf club so that the amputee user can make a normal golf swing. The holder attachment includes a mounting base detachably connected to the prosthesis, and a clamping head connected to the mounting base by a connecting link portion providing both free rotary motion and pivotal motion in a single plane.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures GOLF CLUB HOLDER ATTACHMENT FOR PROSTIIESIS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to prosthetic devices for attaching to the remaining stump of an arm of an amputte, and more particularly to an attachment for such a prosthesis designed to hold the outer grip end of a golf club so that the user can make a relatively normal golf swing.

2. Description of the Prior Art The game of golf requires the player to swing a club downwardly through an arc, to strike a golf ball sitting on a tee or lying on the ground. While it is possible to successfully swing a golf club using but one hand, for the average person greater accuracy and power are obtained by holding the club grip with both hands, and employing both arms in the back stroke, the down or power stroke, and the follow-through. For the average player with a normal body the making of a golf swing with both arms and both hands is a natural act, albeit one that requires practice and excellent coordination for consistently good results.

However, where a person has lost one hand and perhaps part of the associated arm, until now there has been no practical way of which anything approaching a normal two-handed golf swing might be made. Such amputees hav in some instances developed considerable skill in swinging a club with their one remaining hand, but their inability to offer the guidance and power of a two handed stroke has lef them handicapped as opposed to the player with a normal body.

There is thus a need for a prosthetic device that can be used by the average golfer handicapped by the loss of one hand and perhaps part of the associated arm, a device that will allow such a golfer to make a relatively normal golf swing. The present invention is intended to satisfy that need.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The golf club holder attachment of the present invention is designed to be detachably connected to the end of a conventional prosthetic sleeve, the sleeve itself being split and secured to the stump of the arm, usually by being laced tightly in place. A suitable prosthesis for use with the attachment of the present invention is that shown in US. Pat. No. 3,490,078.

The present attachment is designed to allow simulation of the normal movements of a human hand and wrist during a golf swing. To accomplish this, the attachment includes a mounting base that is detachably secured to the outer end of the prosthesis, and a clamping head that when loosened receives the outer end of the grip of a golf club. The clamping head is equipped with a quickly operated band clamp, so that different I tation of the clamping head relative to the prosthesis,-

and pivotal motion in a single plane. The movements thus allowed by the connecting link make it possible for the player to make a relatively normal golf swing when the exposed lower portion of the golf club grip is grasped by the player's other, normal hand and arm.

The normal hand and arm lend the necessary movements to the club, the connecting link following such movements. At the same time the players stump arm and the prosthesis with the present attachment in place thereon provide guidance and power to the swing, the result being a relatively normal golf stroke.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a prosthetic attachment for holding a golf club, designed to permit a relatively normal golf stroke by the user.

Another object is to provide a prosthetic golf club holder attachment that can be easily attached and removed, and which includes a clamping head that is easily and quickly operable for connecting and detaching a golf club.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following Description of the Preferred Embodiment, when taken together with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the present golf club holder attachment in use by an amputee golfer;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary front elevational view, partly in section, of the attachment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the present attachment, taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional vies taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the T-connector of the golf attachment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, an amputee golfer is shownat 2 in FIG. 1, and has a stump left arm4 onto which a prothesis 6 is mounted. The prosthesis 6 has a the golf club holder attachment 8 of the invention attached thereto, a golf club 10 in FIG. 1 being held by the attachment 8 and the right hand 12 of the golfer 2 as he executes a golf stroke.

The prosthesis 6 is conventional, and includes a'split sleeve 14 of leather or the like, secured to the stump arm 4 by lacing 16. The sleeve 14 contains a forepiece 18 against which the end of the arm stump rests, and mounted on the outer end of the prosthesis is an internally threaded collar 20.

The attachment 8 includes a mounting base 22, comprising a threaded shaft 24 having a circular head 26 mounted thereon. The shaft 24 is threaded into the collar 20 to secure the attachment 8 to the prosthesis 6, a nut 28 securing the two elements in a locked relationship. While the threaded shaft 24 and collar 20 are the preferred manner of securing the attachment 8 to the prosthesis 6, it is to be understood that some other connecting scheme might be substituted therefor.

In addition to the mounting base 22, the attachment 8 includes a club clamping head 30, and a connecting link 32. The clamping head 30 includes a T-shaped connector 34 having a cylindrical center leg or linear stub shaft 36 on one end of which a rectangular crossbar 38 is formed, the cross-bar 38 having spaced, parallel bores 40 extending from the front face 42 to the rear face 44 thereof. Two identical clam shell-like clamp leaves 46 are pivotally connected to the cross-bar 38, each leaf 46 having an end wall 48 from which a tapered, semi-cylindrical skirt 50 extends. The end walls 48 have centrally positioned rectangular notches 52 therein which receive the opposite ends of the crossbar 38, and the leaves 46 are pivotally connected to the cross-bar by pins 54 passing through the bores 40 and aligned bores 56 in the end walls 46.

When the leaves 46 are in the closed positioned, as shown in the drawings, the tapered skirts 50 thereof define a tapered socket for gripping the outer end of a golf club. In order for the golf club to be tightly held, the leaves 46 must be clamped tightly thereagainst, and for this purpose an encircling band clamp 58 is placed near the outer open end thereof. The central portion of the band clamp 58 is secured to one of the leaves 46 by a screw 60, and the band clamp is provided with an adjustment screw 62 for tightening and loosening the same.

It will be understood that a golf club grip end is placed in the clamping head 30 by first loosening the band clamp 58, sufficiently to allow the leaves 46 to be pivoted apart a distance adequate for insertion of the club end. The band clamp 58 is then tightened, to secure the club end in place. The adjustment screw 62 is designed to be easily turned with the fingers so that clubs can be quickly changed.

The linking or connecting portion 32 comprises a body 64 having an axial bore 66 therethrough, enlarged at its outer end to form a socket 68. A transverse bore 70 in the lower portion of the body 64 intersects the axis of the axial bore 66 at a right angle, and the outer ends thereof are enlarged to form sockets 72. The body 64 has a transverse notch opening 74 therein that intersects the transverse bore 70 at a right angle, and within which is received the circular head 26 of the base portion 22.

The head 26 has a transverse bore 76 therethrough, within which is received a cylindrical bushing 78 having threaded bores 80 in the opposite ends thereof. The link body 64 is pivotally connected to the base portion 22 by screws 82 received in the sockets 72, and extending through the bore 70 to threadingly engage the threaded bushing bore 80.

The cylindrical center leg 36 of the T-shaped connector 34 has the inner race of a roller bearing 84 press fitted thereon, the outer race of said bearing being received in the socket 68 and being held in place by a snap ring 86, whereby the clamping head 30 is mounted for free rotation about the axis of the axial bore 66, and for pivotal motion in a single plane about the axis of the bushing 78. The motions thus allowed to the clamping head 30, as has been recited, makes it possible for a golfer equipped with the present attachment to simulate a normal, two-handed golf stroke.

While the attachment of the invention is specifically intended for use in playing golf, it is to be understood that other uses might also be possible therefor. Further,

it is obvious that modifications of the invention are possible.

I claim:

1. An attachment for a prosthesis, said attachment being adapted to hold the grip end of a golf club, and including: a mounting base having a head portion on one end thereof; means for detachably mounting the other end of said mounting base to said prosthesis, and adapted to secure said mounting base and said prosthesis against relative rotation; a clamping head adapted to hold the grip end of a golf club, and including: a connector element having a linear stub shaft projecting therefrom; a pair of generally semi-cylindrical, clam shell-like leaves pivoted at their inner ends to said connector element and disposed symmetrically about the axis of said linear stub shaft, the interior surfaces of said leaves being tapered for engaging the grip end of a golf club when such is disposed therebetween and said clam shell-like leaves are pivoted toward each other into confronting clamping relationship; and clamp means engaged with the outer ends of said leave operable for urging such into gripping engagement with said golf club grip end; and means connecting said clamping head with said mounting base, and arranged whereby said clamping head can freely rotate in a plane about the longitudinal axis of said linear stub shaft, and can pivot in a single plane about a pivotal axis that intersects and lies generally normal to said linear stub shaft axis, said pivotal axis being disposed between and being spaced from said rotational plane and said detachable mounting means.

2. An attachment as recited in claim 1, wherein said clamp means comprises a band clamp arranged to encircle the outer ends of said leaves and secured to one of said leaves, said band clamp including a finger operable clamp screw.

3. An attachment as recited in claim 2, wherein said connecting means between said clamping head and said mounting base includes a connecting link element pivotally connected with said head portion of said mounting base and rotatably connected with said linear stub shaft.

4. An attachment as recited in claim 1, wherein said connecting means comprises: connecting link element having an axial bore and a transverse bore therein, the axis of said transverse bore generally intersecting the axis of said axis bore and lying generally normal thereto, the portion of said connecting link element in the region of said transverse bore being bifurcated to receive said head portion of said mounting base; pivot pin means passing through said transverse bore and said mounting base head portion; and bearing means on said stub shaft, the outer end of said stub shaft and said bearing means being received and secured within said axial bore.

1' t i \I l 

1. An attachment for a prosthesis, said attachment being adapted to hold the grip end of a golf club, and including: a mounting base having a head portion on one end thereof; means for detachably mounting the other end of said mounting base to said prosthesis, and adapted to secure said mounting base and said prosthesis against relative rotation; a clamping head adapted to hold the grip end of a golf club, and including: a connector element having a linear stub shaft projecting therefrom; a pair of generally semi-cylindrical, clam shell-like leaves pivoted at their inner ends to said connector element and disposed symmetrically about the axis of said linear stub shaft, the interior surfaces of said leaves being tapered for engaging the grip end of a golf club when such is disposed therebetween and said clam shell-like leaves are pivoted toward each other into confronting clamping relationship; and clamp means engaged with the outer ends of said leave operable for urging such into gripping engagement with said golf club grip end; and means connecting said clamping head with said mounting base, and arranged whereby said clamping head can freely rotate in a plane about the longitudinal axis of said linear stub shaft, and can pivot in a single plane about a pivotal axis that intersects and lies generally normal to said linear stub shaft axis, said pivotal axis being disposed between and being spaced from said rotational plane and said detachable mounting means.
 2. An attachment as recited in claim 1, wherein said clamp means comprises a band clamp arranged to encircle the outer ends of said leaves and secured to one of said leaves, said band clamp including a finger operable clamp screw.
 3. An attachment as recited in claim 2, wherein said connecting means between said clampIng head and said mounting base includes a connecting link element pivotally connected with said head portion of said mounting base and rotatably connected with said linear stub shaft.
 4. An attachment as recited in claim 1, wherein said connecting means comprises: connecting link element having an axial bore and a transverse bore therein, the axis of said transverse bore generally intersecting the axis of said axis bore and lying generally normal thereto, the portion of said connecting link element in the region of said transverse bore being bifurcated to receive said head portion of said mounting base; pivot pin means passing through said transverse bore and said mounting base head portion; and bearing means on said stub shaft, the outer end of said stub shaft and said bearing means being received and secured within said axial bore. 